This is the fifteenth part of the series that began here . If you like it, and would want to be updated whenever I post the subsequent parts, you might want to subscribe to the posts via email . We are nearing the end of this story and it will be finished in the next two or three posts.)
Rahul had by now crept into the front seat too.
“The notes are not jsut big ones, but there are small ones too,” Rahuls said, “we will need two big bags…at least.”
“The notes being small, and used, is a good thing in many ways…they are harder to trace.” Vikas replied, his mind, it seemed, was still focused on how to hide the money.
“We have two big bags… but where do we take them. We can’t take them home. Let’s go to a place where there are a lot of people , say a bus stop first.”
“Why ?” Rahul was bewildered.
Vikas smiled sheepishly, and replied, “ I have a phobia of the sniffer police dogs. Whenever I have planned a crime in my mind, I have always been scared of being found out by them.”
Rahul was thoughtful again, “ You know, you could be a great criminal, at least you think of everything.”
Vikas laughed, “ What do you mean I could be a great criminal, I am a great criminal.”
“Seriously, have you done anything like this before ?” asked Rahul.
“I wouldn’t tell you if I had, so I will not answer that.” Vikas replied, “…and we are never talking about what happened today. We will let some time pass, and then divide the money, but no one makes any extravagant expenditure ever.”
“Ok! But where are the bags that you were taking about. Vikas took off the overcoat he was wearing and ripped it at the centre. Then he folded it in a special way, and there were two bags in his hands.
“ I am going to keep driving till we are near a certain place, then we will dump this vehicle and move on foot from there to wherever we have to go. We don’t need to hide it at a very safe place. We should just get enough time to get away. Make sure you leave no fingerprints, though it wouldn’t matter if you did.. Fill in the bags, put in the bigger denomination notes first, so that even if we have to leave some behind its not much. Don’t fill the bags too much either. There should be nothing to rouse suspicion”, Vikas said.
Rahul by now had begun to fill the bags with the money. The bags were big enough to easily hold all the money. Though there were small notes, most of the money was in big denominations and all the money was safely packed in the two bags in no time.
“It is definitely more than one crore, I counted the bigger notes and they were more than 85 lakhs.” Rahul could not help grinning, despite himself.
“Good, and this will be a nice place to push the vehicle in. The vegetation here is thick, and it will be a while before someone notices the jeep.” Vikas said.
“But how will we get away from here.” Rahul enquired.
Vikas didn’t say anything but started walking and motioned Rahul to follow. Having no other option Rahul quietly followed him . They must have walked for at least thirty minutes and though they were talking, every time Rahul asked about where they were going, Vikas held his silence. Then Vikas got off the main road and took a road that seemed to go directly into the jungle.
Rahul stopped in his tracks and demanded. “If you don’t tell me where we are going right now, I am not following you.”
Vikas smiled and said, “Trust me, there is a surprise.”
…Continued.
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